


Sisterly Reunion - It Runs in the Family

by Kheru



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Modern AU, Polyamory, Self-Indulgent, cinder is not a murderer just a punk with an attitude, sputtering flustered Weiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:00:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29330463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kheru/pseuds/Kheru
Summary: Weiss plans a meeting with her sister to share some very important news regarding her personal life. Unbeknownst to her, Winter has some news of her own...
Relationships: Weiss / Nora / Ruby / Penny, Weiss Schnee/Nora Valkyrie, Winter Schnee / Robyn Hill / Cinder Fall
Kudos: 16





	Sisterly Reunion - It Runs in the Family

There was nervous energy running around, Weiss’ leg bouncing up and down under the small table of the booth she was currently sat at. She was very firm on staying, sticking to her plan and being done with it, but that did not mean she wasn’t afraid. She had been, in fact, terrifying herself for the last fifteen minutes by listing every single possible way this could go wrong.

She was at the fifty-sixth and hadn’t even brushed up on the possibilities of Winter simply staying silent yet.

She checked the time again. And again. And again. Looking at the seconds ticking by, she felt both foolish and frustrated- She knew her sister would be here precisely at the time they had set for their meeting… Unlike her, Weiss’ manic obsession to being on time had gradually shifted to being stupidly early. To be fair, however, she had expected to be considerably slowed down on her way there.

Which brought her thoughts and her gaze to the redhead calmly sat at her right with a small smile. Nora was uncharacteristically quiet, humming to herself while tilting her menu left and right on the table. If anything, compared to her, Weiss was frantic: toying with her earrings, fixing her hair every few seconds, biting on the soft chew necklace she compulsively tucked in and pulled out of her sweater… She was a mess.

Nora’s calm was unnervingly reassuring.

She chose this moment to turn her eyes to Weiss, and all but beam at her with that impish grin she was known to sport whenever she had an idea- usually followed by a mix of disbelieving grunts or small snorts of laughter, depending on how intent she was at cheering people up.

“I found something!” she said, waggling her eyebrows in a motion that Weiss had never been able to replicate, no matter how many time she had tried to see if it was even possible.

“It seems so. Care to enlighten me?”

Despite all of the stress that was eating at her with each tick of the clock, Weiss found her voice softening and the start of a smile forming. Nora’s joy was simply too infectious to resist, and as she gleefully chuckled, Weiss rolled her eyes as she always did. She would never admit it, but it was her way to dodge eye contact for a second, try and back up from the overwhelming love that poured from Nora in batches.

Nora was many things, but she was mostly bold, brash and unapologetic. And as such, she loved and expressed her love in exuberant and most of all, unwavering displays that sometimes were just too much to handle for Weiss, who had spent most of her life looking for scraps of affection and validation. Not if she wanted to keep her eyes from watering anyways…

She wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

Yes, Nora was loud and hyper, and you sometimes found her swinging from a chandelier if you looked away for more than a minute, and yes, sometimes Weiss needed to take a step back. But that was never because of Nora, and never because she was uncomfortable. Truth be told, she dared to hope she loved the redhead back just as much- even when her stuffy upbringing made her eyebrows shoot to her hairline as her girlfriend grinned at her, repeatedly pointing at a specific item on the menu.

“Alright, keep your secrets… What caught your attention, the salmon filet, or…” she paused, read the line, then again, before sending an unimpressed look at her companion. “Fish Balls. Really?”

She had all the troubles in the world keeping a straight face as Nora burst out laughing, the tiniest of smiles cracking through her mask. A few heads turned their way, unused to the exuberance in such a place, but she couldn’t care less. Her eyes were on Nora, desperately wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes and holding her ribs.

“Oh Brothers, it’s even better when you say it with your serious voice. You’d think people proofread their menus, but we’re in the classiest hole around and they’ve got Fish Balls!”

“I’ll admit it’s… incongruous.” She finally relented, letting the smile spread from her eyes to her lips, to which Nora responded with a resounding whoop.

“Mission accomplished! You smiled!”

“I wasn’t aware there was a mission statement,” she teased.

“Yup! Made it ever since you asked for backup meeting your sis. Your mission is to see her, talk to her, and maybe catch up on what she’s done lately. My mission is to make sure you don’t run away in a self-inflicted panic because you overthought. And waggle my eyebrows at fish balls until you smile!”

There was a pause as she collected her thoughts, and, admittedly, tried to fight the flustering she felt creeping up her neck. It gave her plenty of time to breathe, and see Nora’s expression fade from her usual mischievous smile to one of soft concern, speaking up before she could voice the heartfelt thanks she had been building up ever since they had sat down.

“Now I know you’re really worried.” Her gaze was kind, softer than most assumed she was capable of.

“Oh? And how is that?” she replied without thought, flinching internally at how defensive she sounded.

“Because you’re not even trying to protest. I’m poking fun at your tendency to dramatize things and I expected to hear your indignant pout through the entire restaurant.”

The seriousness of her tone was somewhat toned down by the way she was waving her very fine fork around for emphasis, but not enough that it didn’t immediately remind Weiss of her very real, very pressing anxieties. She chuckled, knowing very well that Nora was right on every single note and that in any other circumstance, this conversation would have turned into a round of teasing and weak protests, all made in good-natured fun.

“You’re right. I’m just…” she gestured vaguely, at loss for words.

“Hey, it’s alright. This is important for you, she’s important to you. You’ve got this. And I’ve got you, and I’m not the only one, alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah, alright.”

“Plus, if she tries to pull any shit, I’ll totally break her legs.”

Weiss laughed at that, the deadpan look in Nora’s eyes very telling on how serious and absolutely ready to throw down she was, should the need arise. Again, she felt a rush of love for the exuberant woman who had crashed into her life nearly a year and a half ago- quite literally.

“I do hope that nothing I do will warrant such drastic measures, then.”

The voice that rose right beside their table froze Weiss instantly, its familiarity taunting her with the double-edged sword of validation and reject. She swallowed, hard, and took a brief second to wipe the single tear that had rolled on her cheek in the turmoil of emotions before turning to face her sister with a smile that she hoped calm enough.

She was as proper as ever, her suit impeccably smooth and perfectly fitted, her gloved hand resting on the lapel of her coat. Her hair was tied in a perfect bun, two white strands swinging in front of her ears. No earrings, though Weiss noted the presence of a piercing.

That almost made her raise an eyebrow. As far as she knew, Winter had never been fond of earrings, often voicing her contempt at how tacky and heavy they felt- but never once missing an occasion to praise Weiss on how finely she assorted hers to her outfits. Although, she had to be fair. She hadn’t seen Winter in a very long time- and their exchanges had been brief, if warm for the standards of the family.

She brushed the thought aside for the moment, instead focusing on the mortifying uncertainty of how much Winter had heard. And most importantly, on finding a way to get the conversation going- preferably away from her growing panic.

“I take it you’re Winter then?” Nora simply shrugged, as unphased as ever. “Love to meet ya, I’m Nora! I do mean it though.”

“I’m sure you do,” the elder smiled as she shook the hand shot her way, settling down on the opposite cushioned bench.

“So, been here creeping on us long?”

“Nora!” Weiss jerked, mind steel reeling from the shock and trying her best not to sputter.

“I just overhead that last bit.”

The reassuring part was that Winter had not been here long enough to see her make heart eyes at her girlfriend. Not that there was anything wrong with that! She had planned this all specifically to come out to her sister and introduce Nora, so really, it was only a matter of time. But time mattered, and right now, Weiss would take every scrap of control she could find in the conversation, including when and how she would disclose her- no, their relationship. Despite all of her fears, Winter’s voice was calm, cordial, and she still smiled. She even looked… Amused as though she had just noticed-

Oh no.

She knew. She had to know. That smile, that gleam in her eyes, she just had to know, or at the very least suspect that something was fishy- and not just the dish names! Weiss found her thoughts spiralling, throat closing as fear just tore through her with its claws. She couldn’t say a thing, panic rising, and she simply hated how powerless and afraid she was, hated how awkward the silence was getting, hated everything she was and did right at that moment. Right up until Winter’s voice rose again casually, making her release a breath she had been holding and realize that once again, she had overworked herself over nothing.

“I’ve been looking forward to catching up with you Weiss, it’s been far too long. There is a lot I would like to discuss, but first things first. I hope it’s not too much of a trouble, but some people should join us soon.”

“Some… People?” she was able to articulate in between two increasingly concerning thoughts.

“Yes, they shouldn’t be too long now. I have been quite insistent on punctuality after all-“

“Hey, Angel! I know we’re late, I did my best. Cinder tried to fight the waiter at the entrance, apparently, he sneered at us.”

The voice had risen across the tables from a ways away, and upon turning to see who had just spoken, Weiss’ mind was thrown for yet another loop as she laid eyes on… Well, probably the last kind of outfit she would have expected for someone in this kind of place, let alone for someone Winter seemed to hold in high esteem.

The first one she saw, the one who had just spoken, had a satisfied smile on her lips and a hand on her hips as she cocked her head slightly to the side. She was wearing a black jean button-up jacket whose sleeves must have offended her in some way as they were rather crudely torn out, exposing her toned arms. Along her tan skin ran the inky lines of a complex tattoo, partially hidden by an off-white bandage around her right wrist. As she walked to their table, her military boots clomped on the wood and her violet eyes gleamed, framed by locks of platinum blonde hair that had escaped a rather messy ponytail.

The woman by her side was no less surprising, and still glowering at one of the waiters with smouldering amber eyes peeking from behind jet black, short and wild hair. She looked almost skulking, slightly hunched as she was in her spiked leather jacket and torn jeans. All in all, she looked like trouble, and Weiss felt her brows knit together amid her confusion.

Winter was smiling warmly and beckoning them over with a small wave, so there was no mistaking them for a coincidence, and if Winter trusted them then it meant they were trustworthy, but still. She had sat down expecting an awkward, probably tense discussion with her sister and so far it had only gotten increasingly strange and out of her control. And she wasn’t even mentally addressing the fact that Winter hadn’t reacted at being called angel, as if she was expecting it.

“So, have you told her yet?” the blonde asked, that ever-present smile still on her lips.

“No, but I suppose this is as good a time as any. Weiss, Nora, this is Robyn Hill –“ she paused, barely long enough for the blonde to flash a peace sign at them. “- and this is Cinder fall.”

At the mention of her name, the other woman finally turned her attention to the table and her scowl receded. Not quite into a smile, but a much more neutral expression, and you could almost see the gears turning in her head as she righted her posture and attempted a wave that was a bit sloppy. If Weiss had to guess from the tightness of her jaw and the way her eyes darted around, she would say that Cinder was not a fan of crowded spaces, and she gave a small acknowledging nod to the two newcomers, finally finding enough normalcy to act somewhat properly. She made a mental note to make sure Cinder knew her efforts were appreciated before picking up her untouched glass of water, both to give herself countenance and to prepare her voice for the conversation she was still intent on having with her sister. Accomplished orator, Winter waited patiently for the silent exchange to take place before pursuing.

“We’ve been dating for two years.”

Weiss immediately sputtered in the middle of her drink in a most undignified manner, her soul leaving her body for a brief second before being forced back into the wheezing, coughing, burning mess of her lungs as a plethora of reactions spread across the table. Winter’s expression had turned from confident to a mixture of concern and apprehension, Robyn was an impressive display of calm, unimpressed contempt and Cinder was back to glowering.

Nora burst out laughing and wheezing, barely able to breathe herself as she vainly attempted to clap on Weiss’s back to help her with the whole water in her trachea situation. It had the benefit of drawing all attention away from Weiss’ messy coughing fit, which she was very grateful for, and in between chopped inhales and fits of giggles, Nora attempted to clarify the situation for the three puzzled – and mildly miffed – women still staring at them.

“I can’t believe it. Should have seen it coming. To be very clear, ‘cuz I don’t think she could tell you right now if she wanted, she’s not coughing up her lungs because she’s a bigot. She just got all worked up and tense before you got here, and the news was so unexpected it fried her brain.”

Again eyebrows raised, but the tension slowly bled out as Weiss, still coughing, attempted to point and nod along to emphasize what Nora was verbalizing for her. Robyn and Cinder sat down beside her sister, still uneasy but a lot less defensive at the lack of hostility from the two girls facing them.

“Oh, brothers. This is going to get so much better.” Nora chuckled with that gremlin smirk that meant trouble. “Excuse me, I just have a call to make. It’ll all make sense in a second, I just- This is going to be good.”

Without waiting for approval- nor as much as an answer, and under the curious and concerned gaze of four people, Nora fished her scroll out of her pocket and pressed a button, speed dialling. Weiss confusion grew- as if that was still possible at this point- as she knew there were only two numbers Nora had on speed dial. The pizzeria and-

“Hey Rubes. You need to get your cute little butt over here as fast as you can. And I’ve seen you run to get the last cookie, so you’d better be there in ten seconds flat.” A pause, a chuckle. “No, yeah, she’s cool.” A glance at Winter, then at Robyn and Cinder. “Cooler than we could think. We’ll need all the help we can get explaining things though, the Ice Queen just sputtered her brains out.”

“Did you plan that?” was all that Weiss could say, somewhere between disbelief and relief.

“Sure did!”

“How far are they?”

“Right across the street.”

“Across the- and you didn’t tell me?!”

“They’re backup! We all know how stressed you got over that meeting, there was no way any of us could stay further away than a block.”

“You still didn’t tell me?”

“Didn’t want to stress you out. And you wanted to take it easy on your sister, which right now is absolutely hilarious, because, I mean. Seriously.”

A soft cough drew their attention back to the three women sitting on the other side of the table.

“Well, I can’t say I expected any of what just went down. Would you mind enlightening us on the subject of that mysterious ‘them’ ?” Winter carefully asked, and in a split second Weiss noticed the arm Robyn had sneaked around her waist.

She took a deep breath, convincing herself that there was nothing to fear from the conversation anymore, and spared a brief thankful glance at Nora when she felt her hand rubbing her back soothingly.

“Well, first of all, I would like to apologize for my behaviour. Your revelation caught me off guard, and as Nora mentioned, I harbour no foul feelings about it- on the contrary, I’m quite happy to see you so bright Winter.” She paused for a second, recognizing her rambling for what it was: stalling. “In fact… The reason I got so anxious waiting for you is that I wanted you to meet someone, and I wasn’t quite sure how you would take the news. Nora and I have been dating for little under a year now.”

Robyn’s expression softened instantly, and understanding crossed over Cinder’s feature. Winter herself was smiling again, a glee tinted with satisfaction as she had most likely guessed right a few minutes ago. Before she could speak, however, Weiss raised a hand, effectively silencing her as she worked up the nerves to keep going, which she managed to do so right as she heard footfalls and the creaking of wheels rushing to their table.

“And I’ve been dating Ruby and Penny for three years now.”

“I ran here as fast as I could! What’s happening?”

“Salutations!”


End file.
